Step Back
by superwoman1015
Summary: It started out as Mary just trying to wipe the smirk off of Abby's face and ended with Mary realizing things she wasn't prepared to deal with. Post season 4, mild spoilers.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: **I'm on a roll with writing these past few days! Holly cow! I'm impressed with myself. Anyway, this will be a multi parter, not sure how many chapters, but 2 at least. Not betated, hopefully there's nothing horrid in here, I'll reread once I get some sleep, just wanted to get it posted.

**Step Back Part 1**

Mary punched the button on the treadmill, cranking the speed up faster. She hadn't realized that all of the weight she had gained with the baby would be so hard to lose. Sure, woman complained about it all the time, but weren't most women just whiny babies? But it had been six months since she'd had popped and she still couldn't fit in her jeans.

An hour later and thoroughly drenched in sweat she finally wound down her work out. Mary looked around the gym, she didn't know why she was still coming to this place, Marshall had convinced her to join when she had first moved to Albuquerque, it was near his place and her old apartment. But now that Marshall had moved…

"Well Mary Shannon, what brings you here?" She cringed at the all too familiar Texan twang.

"Abigail Chaffee, do you work out here too?" Mary asked, disdain dripping from her voice. Abby wither ignored her or didn't notice and smiled back.

"Yes, Marshall turned me on to it. I love the atmosphere; it's got everything you need." Mary looked up and down her well toned body. She was skinny, her breasts were perky and Mary knew, without having to look, that her ass was taught and well formed too. It didn't seem fair. Mary was in baggy sweats to hide the bulge that was her stomach and was curing the fact that sports bras didn't want to hold up her post baby sagging boobs.

"Yeah, he suggested it to me too, and I'm just too lazy to change. I've already got the place on bill pay." She really wanted to just hit the showers.

"Do you know they put in a new boxing ring?" Abby asked, and finally Mary was actually smiling.

"Really? I didn't know that. I do love a good sparing match, care to be my partner?" To her credit Abby actually looked surprised.

"Well, sure, if there's an opening." Mary didn't wait for anything else, but turned in the direction of where she knew the boxing ring was. She wasn't stupid, she'd been aware of the boxing ring, she'd even spared with a few of the other patrons who were just hanging around waiting to have their asses handed to them on a platter, and she knew the man who was in charge of scheduling. He would fit them in for the five minute it would take Mary to teach perky little Miss Priss a lesson. What lesson it was she wasn't sure, but she would teach her one.

Head gear on mouth piece in place Mary glared at Abby. She didn't like her, and she really didn't have a good reason. Hell, even Brandi had managed to overcome the fact that Abby had arrested her at dinner with her future in-laws.

They had decided to go gloveless, more sparing, less boxing, that was the style Mary preferred more. She nodded at Abby, waited until she caught her eye and charged. It didn't take her long to pin her to the mat the first time and Mary smiled through her mouth piece.

Taking it out she asked "A little rusty?"

Abby struggled to stand and smiled, taking out her mouth piece. "No, just taking it easy on you."

Mary grunted and put back in her mouth piece. That wouldn't do. She wanted to wipe the floor with her cheerleader grin, the over confidant too perky cop. She couldn't stand the woman. And worse, Marshall could. Not in the way that Marshall tolerated everyone, but in the way that she expected Marshall to one night over paper work announce that he'd spent two months salary on a diamond and was wondering if Mary would be his best man.

Mary grabbed Abby around the waist, but was foiled as Abby quickly reversed the position, catching Mary in a position that seemed to make her unable to fight back. She flashed back to that horrid training session over a year ago, the one where Marshall went ape shit on the jackass who was groping her. That was _her _Marshall, the man who protected her no matter what.

She flipped positions on Abby, getting her in a modified head lock. She couldn't have her Marshall, she couldn't have the man, she wouldn't let her. Abby didn't deserve him. Ok, so Abby seemed to genuinely enjoy Marshall's endless blather. She seemed to enjoy spending time with Marshall doing what it was that he enjoyed. But it wasn't fair. If she was going to be miserable, shouldn't Marshall be miserable?

She wedged her leg between Abby's and flipped her onto the mat. Abby reached up and pulled Mary down on top of her, rolling over.

Mary was having a hard time concentrating on the battle going on with Abby; the internal one was too strong. She didn't want Abby to have Marshall, but she didn't want him, did she? She struggled with Abby as she thought. Marshall had always been there, he'd always been waiting for her, and then he wasn't, and she missed that.

She wanted him back. She wanted Marshall for herself. But, mostly, she needed to talk to him. Needed to let him know what was going on. With one last surge of energy she threw Abby onto the mat, harder than needed, but it made her feel better.

She walked out of the ring without looking back

Mary pulled up to Marshall's new place. His new place with Abby. The teenager with the perfect body. The woman she'd left moaning on a mat at the gym. The woman that she hated simply because she loved Marshall.

Her phone rang and she jumped. "What?" she snapped as she answered the phone.

"_Hello to you too."_

"Brandi, I don't have time for this, what do you need."

"_You never have time anymore."_

"Brandi."

"_Alright, alright. Look, I'm planning a party this weekend and was wondering if you would mind if I invited Marshall and Abigail."_

"The woman arrested you, what's with your obsession with her?"

"_She's a nice person; she was just doing her job. And besides, Marshall loves her. I can't figure out why you hate her so much."_

"I know. I'm having that same problem."

"_What?"_

"I just spent the a half hour at the gym trying to wipe that stupid smile off her face and the only reason I can think of, other than my general dislike of people, is that she's dating Marshall."

There was silence on the line and Mary pulled the phone away from her ear to make sure she hadn't somehow lost the call.

"_Wow. I didn't think I'd ever hear you say that."_

"What? I know I don't like people."

"_That's not what I meant and you know it."_

"I know Brandi."

"_Just don't do anything stupid."_

"What stupid? I'm not going to do anything. Hating people is not something new to me."

"_No, but hating them with a reason that actually makes sense is. Just remember, Marshall loves her, he actually seemed happy the last time I saw him."_

"I know." Mary said sadly, hanging up the phone. She got out of the car, she was starting to feel stiff, she shouldn't have taken all of her frustration out on Abby, her body was not going to be happy with her for the next few days.

She knocked on the door and waited for Marshall to answer. She didn't know what she was going to say, and had started to turn, having changed her mind about saying anything, when Marshall opened the door.

"Mary, to what do I owe this pleasant surprise. Nothing the matter is there?" Marshall asked, the usual concern in his voice tugging at a place in Mary that she barley liked to acknowledge at the best of times, and this was not the best of times.

"I beat up your girlfriend at the gym." Mary said, pushing through the doorway before she could change her mind.

"You what?" Marshall was flabbergasted. Whatever he had been anticipating her saying that was not it.

"I beat up your perky little Texan girlfriend at the gym today. Not like that, but I wiped the floor with her in the boxing ring at the gym."

"Why?" She could tell he was trying not to get upset, pissed off, or mad. Mary didn't think it was going to work.

"Because she has perky boobs and a tight ass." Marshall just waited, knowing that that wasn't the only think to it. "And because you love her and I miss you." The last part was rushed and she knew Marshall was trying to process it by the look on his face.

"You beat her up because she's got the body you did before you had a kid…and because I love her?"

"Yeah, that about sums it up." She looked around the house, at the furniture she knew they must have picked out together, at the picture of them hanging on the wall by the bay windows, at the open airy kitchen that Mary knew they probably used every night to make meals and knew that she didn't belong here.

"I—Mary, what, how—" Marshall was fumbling for words, normally Mary would eat that up, but not today. Today it made her want to cry, made her want to hold him, made her want to kiss him. That was new, never thought that before. This has been a mistake, she needed to leave.

"I shouldn't have come. I just wanted you to know. Tell her I'm sorry, next time I'll go easy on her." Before Marshall could stop her she was out the door. Running, because that's what she did.

She drove off, tires squealing, and saw Marshall I her review mirror standing on the street looking confused and bewildered and new that she shouldn't have come.

He deserved Abby, someone who loved him for him, not because there was no one else or because he put up with her.

She wiped tears from her eyes, when had those started to fall, and pulled over to the side of the road when she was far enough away from Marshall's place. This was it, this was the end. He would never be hers, and why was it that she always realized that too late? She would be happy for him if it killed her, which it just might.

She took a deep breath and started driving again. She was going to have to have to call Brandi and tell her to invite Marshall and Abby to her little shindig; it was the only fair thing to do.


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note:** Marshall's turn. I really need to stop writing late at night. Oh well. Not bettaed, all mistakes are mine.

**Step Back Part 2**

Marshall watched as Mary drove like a bat out of hell. He wasn't sure quiet what had happened, but knew that something odd was going on. He was about to go back in the house when he saw Abby's car pulling onto the street. He watched as she pulled into the drive way and smiled at her, genuinely pleased to see her. He frowned though when he saw her carefully easing her way out of the car. Apparently Mary really had beaten her up.

"I thought Mary was exaggerating." Marshall said, walking to Abby's car and helping her out.

"Did she call?" Abby asked as Marshall put an arm around her waist and guided her into the house.

"She stopped by. What the hell happened?" the walked towards the bathroom and Marshall settled Abby onto the toilet seat, turning on the hot water tap in the bathtub.

"I thought it was just going to be a friendly sparing match. I ran into her as she was getting off the treadmill. The next thing I know she had gone crazy and it seemed like she was getting some sort of pleasure form slamming me into the mat."

Marshall frowned at the water as he added bubble bath and watched them foam up. "Did she say anything to you?" He helped her out of her shirt, frowning at the bruises on her arms and back.

"No, I knew she could be tough, but I didn't think it would be like that." Marshall didn't say anything as he helped Abby settle into the tub.

Mary was worrying him. First was her conversation form earlier, and now what Abby had said…

He was about to ask again what had happened when his phone rang. He groaned, he didn't need witness drama right now, but that was life. A quick glance at the caller ID and he had even less desire to answer the phone than he had before.

"It's Brandi." Marshall said, looking at Abby. She simply shrugged, not really caring as she slid further into the hot foamy water.

"Hello?" Marshall answered the phone.

"_Hi, Marshall."_

"Brandi, how's married life treating you?" While Brandi had been able to keep out of trouble since she married Peter with the way that Mary had been acting today there was no guarantee that she didn't have a suitcase full of meth and a drunken mother hiding in the closet.

"_I'm ok, is there any chance we can talk?"_

Marshall covered the mouth piece of his phone "I'm just going to take this in the other room," he said quietly to Abby.

He walked into the living room before speaking again. "What's going on Brandi? Is something wrong with Peter?"

"_No, he's fine. There were two things really."_

"OK." Marshall waited, he knew Brandi could beat around the bush for a while and he wanted to see what she had to say. Maybe she would be able to explain Mary's bizarre behavior. He knew that he was still going to have to talk to Abby more, but that could wait until after she'd given her sore muscles a soak.

"_First thing, Peter and I are having a party this weekend and we wanted to know if you and Abby would like to come."_

"Of course we would. I always enjoy the chance to spend time with you and Peter."

"_That's great, great."_ Brandi fell silent. Marshall waited.

"Was there something else?"

"_Have you talked to Mary today?"_

"She was just here." Marshall didn't want to reveal too much, he wanted to see what was going on first.

"_Did she say anything to you?"_

"Anything about what?" He settled onto the couch, he had a feeling he was going to want to sit down for this.

"_I talked to Mary a little while ago and she…she seemed to be contemplating telling you something that I've known for years, but that she seems to have just realized and I was worried that she hadn't gone through with it, or that she had and was now regretting it."_

Yup, that's what he thought. "She started to, but never finished. Not really."

"_I knew she would chicken out."_

"I'm happy right now Brandi, I really am. I think she realized that."

"_She likes you Marshall and I've known you for too long not to know how you feel about her."_

"I can't do it anymore Brandi, I just can't. I'm happy now. Mary is just a friend and will always be just a friend. She doesn't feel that way about me." He knew that was true, knew it had to be true. For the world to be the way it had to be Mary could only ever like him as a friend.

There was silence on the line as the both thought.

"_I get it Marshall. Make sure you guys come this weekend."_

They hung up and Marshall just sat on the couch, phone in his hand. He thought about what Mary had said, why she had basically attacked Abby in the ring today. Because she had perky boobs and a tight ass and because Abby loved him. And Mary missed him. Had he been further away than normal? He didn't think so. Maybe he'd changed and not noticed it. He had been spending more time with Abby, but that was to be expected. They'd moved in together, they were buying a house. Part of him still worried about that, but he pushed it down, pushed it into the back of his brain. That hadn't been a mistake. He loved Abby, she loved him.

"Why the long face, Cowboy?" her voice startled him and he jumped.

"What? Oh, sorry. Just thinking. Brandi's worried about Mary. I guess she's been acting odd with her too. I hadn't noticed. Oh, and Brandi invited us over this weekend. Her and Peter are having a party."

"That sounds like a blast. Just remind me not to challenge Mary to a wrestling match; I don't think I'd survive."

She settled down next to Marshall and snuggled in next to him. "Feeling better?" He asked, placing his arm around her.

"It's amazing what a hot bath and a handful of painkiller will do."

They settled in to watch TV and Marshall thought some more. He didn't know if he wanted to think about Mary, but he did. There was just something about her. He'd been lusting after her for so long he didn't know what to do about it. Other than try to quit cold turkey, but that didn't seem to be an option.

He couldn't have told anyone what he and Abby were watching on TV, but he was staring at the screen. He kept playing Mary's words back over and over. She'd beaten up Abby because her boobs were perky and her ass was tight. Obviously Mary was having some post baby body issues. He wish there was a way to tell her that he still thought she was the sexist woman, or one of the sexiest women, or, hell, she was hot. There was something magical about the transformation that a woman's body went through when she had a baby. When it was over, when the baby had been delivered, the body didn't go back the way it was before. Mary would never have the pin up body, at least not without massive amounts of plastic surgery and no job and a personal trainer, but she was still smoking hot.

Marshall shook his head. He was cradling the woman he loved; this was not the time to be thinking about how hot Mary was. And that made him think of the other part of what Mary had said. She'd beaten up Abby because Abby loved Marshall, and because Mary missed him.

Why would Mary care that another woman loved him? He had always assumed that any relationship he had was simply an opportunity for Mary to poke fun at him and ask if his boyfriend carried if he was seeing women. But gay jokes aside, when had Mary started caring who he was dating? The barbs about Abby being too young, too perky, too Texan had started early on, as they had for his brief relationship with Dr. Finkle and his old professor, but there was a different quality to these jokes than the others. There was something.

Holy Crap. Mary was starting to develop feelings for him.


End file.
